Driving is no different in this man’s world (read: country), where women are deprived of the opportunity to perform basic outdoor chores because of the perilous conditions they are faced with every day. While not all women in the country get to enjoy the ‘privilege’ of being out and about, the potential threats of stepping outside, even in enclosed vehicles, haunt women every day.

“It’s men on bikes, its men on cars, it’s men on nice cars too, so it is not a lack of literacy; it is men from all areas of life or financial positions,” says Zainab Ali, a consultant working at the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW).

She said: “I have experienced harassment when I have female friends in my car, but when there is a man present, the chances of being bothered are considerably low. What works the most is when I ignore them, but it is so unfortunate.”

“This has become such a norm now that if I step out, I am constantly aware of the cars around me; my instincts keep that in mind because we are so used to it. We subconsciously keep an eye on anyone surrounding us,” she added.

Zainab Ali said, with her tone filled with disappointment, “It’s always feeling vulnerable, always feeling scared. Even when you are driving while being surrounded by so many cars in a public space, you always feel like a target just because you are a woman. If they pull up in front of you, no one is going to help you.”

The most obvious explanation for this undesirable conduct is the ingrained patriarchy in Pakistani society, where women are seen as mere objects, and therefore, harassing them is a source of amusement for these male drivers on the road.

Mahnoor Qureshi, who works at Deutsche Welle Urdu, once fell victim to a mob attack in the main bazaar of Rawalpindi when a child riding a motorcycle bumped into her car.

“As soon as I got out of the car to talk to the kid, I was attacked by a mob; they hurled slurs at me and did not let me escape, while the street vendors and shopkeepers were making videos and laughing at the situation, I was in. I was finally able to make my way to my car and leave.”

“In hindsight, I should not have come out of the car. I was in a life-threatening and traumatising situation, and nobody came to rescue me,” Ms Qureshi added.

She said: “Women all over the country routinely encounter drivers, especially local transport drivers, who curse at you or try to bully you, and to deal with such incidents, I have learned the same insults that I hear from them to protect myself and to not let them think I am intimidated by them.”

Dr Farzana Bari, a human rights activist, while quoting her own incident of road harassment, said: “I was driving on the road when a man honked at me and made an inappropriate hand gesture when passing by me. It made me furious, so I chased him down, took his car details, and informed the police. The police were able to find him, and he was apologetic, so I let him go.”

When asked if there is work being done to highlight the issue of harassment, specifically focusing on female drivers, she said: “I am particularly not aware of anyone specifically working on this issue, but overall harassment gets discussed a lot more now, and there is definitely more awareness around this issue and more about laws as well, especially in urban areas.”

Talking about solutions to improve the conditions, she said: “The system is not effective, and it will take time for it to get better, but it won’t improve until the social mindset, which is misogynistic and patriarchal, improves. Men view women outside of the house as vulnerable. The deep-rooted problem of seeing women as sexual objects rather than human beings needs to be resolved. That is when things will truly improve in the long run.”

However, for short-term solutions, she recommended that complaint mechanisms be made more efficient and severe punishments be given to those who are involved in such behaviour.

DIG Safe City and Traffic Shoaib Khurram Janbaz, while talking to Dawn, disclosed that 23 cases of harassment had been reported until now this year, which he termed encouraging.

The point raised in this figure can be observed from a dual perspective. Firstly, although it might seem motivating for some to see 23 cases reported in the year, one might wonder if there have been only 23 women in the capital who experienced catcalling, lewd gazes or unwanted advances while sitting in their own cars; secondly, is it encouraging or displeasing to see 23 women experience ogling while doing something that men do every day? The figure is truly thought-provoking.

Mr Janbaz also mentioned ways women can get help when they are in danger. They can get prompt help by dialling the Emergency Helpline (PUCAR-15). Women can connect with the professionals, who will quickly dispatch assistance to their location. The Islamabad Capital Police have also established a Gender Protection Unit (GPU) to ensure that women can travel throughout the city safely.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2023